Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse
Computer-animated shorts series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse is a web series of CGI-animated shorts produced by Arc Productions and Mattel.[1] The series was released on YouTube and the official Barbie website from January 20, 2012, to November 27, 2015.[2]
GenreComedy
Developed byDavid Wiebe
Voices of
- Kate Higgins
- Sean Hankinson
- Paula Rhodes
- Charlie Bodin
- Katie Crown
- Nakia Burrise
- Laura Gerow
- Lillian Sofia
- Ashlyn Selich
- Tara Sands
- Todd Resnick
- Grant George
- David Wiebe
| Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse | |
|---|---|
| |
| Genre | Comedy |
| Based on | Barbie by Mattel |
| Developed by | David Wiebe |
| Voices of |
|
| Theme music composer | Rebecca Kneubuhl Gabriel Mann |
| Opening theme | Life in the Dreamhouse |
| Ending theme | Life in the Dreamhouse (only in specials) |
| Country of origin | United States Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 75 (including 2 TV specials) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | For Mattel:
For Arc Productions:
|
| Producer | Margaret M. Dean |
| Editors |
|
| Running time | 4 minutes (11–25 minutes for specials) |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | YouTube Nickelodeon (TV specials) |
| Release | January 20, 2012 – November 27, 2015 |
The series is currently available on Netflix, though Netflix streams the series only as specialized bundles of episodes instead of in the original chronological order.[3] Nickelodeon aired two "continuity" specials on September 1, 2013.[4] The series later spawned a continuation, titled Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures, released from May 3, 2018, to April 12, 2020, on Netflix.[5]
Setting
The series is set in a fictional version of Malibu, California, where all of its inhabitants are dolls. The dolls behave like humans, though a number of the show's gags rely on their doll-like nature. The series centers on the life of Barbie, her friends, her siblings, her boyfriend Ken, and a number of pets. The series is stylized as a mock reality show featuring confessionals of the characters in between scenes. The show heavily relies on slapstick humor, and makes a lot of satirical and self-parody references to the Barbie doll line.
Characters
- Barbara Millicent "Barbie" Roberts is the lead character of the show. She lives in a large pink mansion called the "Dreamhouse" along with her younger sisters Skipper, Stacie, Chelsea and their pets. Barbie is a fashion icon and has had over 135 careers and over and over again; though a celebrity in Malibu, she is friendly, humble and good-natured. Voiced by Kate Higgins.
- Kenneth "Ken" Carson is Barbie's long-time boyfriend. Ken strives to be the perfect boyfriend for Barbie and is always there when Barbie needs him. He is an inventor who makes high-end machines and gadgets for Barbie to use, though they usually end up malfunctioning. Voiced by Sean Hankinson.
- Skipper Roberts is Barbie's teenage sister who enjoys technology and DJing. Voiced by Paula Rhodes.
- Stacie Roberts is Barbie's tomboy tween sister who loves sports and organization. Voiced by Paula Rhodes.
- Chelsea Roberts is Barbie's youngest sister who is mostly interested in collecting and playing with stuffed animals (including her eye-catching favorite Unicorn Plushie of the Month or simply Plushie). Voiced by Laura Gerow.
- Teresa is Barbie's extremely chatty but ditzy best friend who lives near the Dreamhouse and often makes silly, half-witted remarks. Voiced by Katie Crown.
- Nikki: Barbie's principal Black American best friend who is also close friends with Teresa. She manages a fashion blog and loves taking pictures as a hobby.[6] She is creative, smart, sassy, outspoken, and very protective of her friends. Voiced by Nakia Burrise.
- Raquelle is Barbie's frenemy and rival for Ken's affections. She lives a very posh lifestyle in an attempt to outshine Barbie. She is portrayed as vain and arrogant and is not above deceit to attain what she wants. She is also clumsy, and her plans to sabotage Barbie often backfire. Voiced by Haviland Stillwell.
- Ryan is Raquelle's twin brother and struggling musician.[7] He is in love with Barbie and often writes songs about her to impress her. He is a frenemy of Ken and will often brawl with him to win Barbie's affections. Like his sister, Ryan is also very vain and is often seen carrying around large cardboard standups of himself. Voiced by Charlie Bodin.
- Midge Hadley is Barbie's childhood best friend from Barbie's hometown of Willows, Wisconsin.[8] She and Barbie lost touch when Barbie's family moved to Malibu. Prior to her makeover, she appears in black-and-white dressed in vintage fashion and speaks in the 1960s slang.[9] She is also quirky, smart, and is fond of arts and crafts (particularly macramé). She moves to Malibu and develops a crush on Ryan, who does likewise after her makeover. Voiced by Ashlyn Selich.
- Summer is Barbie's fun and energetic best friend who loves sports and games. She is competitive, and her hyperactive nature is sometimes too much to handle.[10] Voiced by Tara Sands.
- Grace is Barbie's new best friend and a new resident in Malibu. She is very smart and interested in science. Voiced by Lillian Sofia.
- Closet is a robot who lives in and manages Barbie's closet. Closet speaks in monotone and has an evil side. Voiced by Todd Resnick. He is often the antagonist and believes to have a father/son relationship with his creator, Ken
- Background Clones are different versions of the main characters. Voiced by Sean Hankinson, Nakia Burrise, Paula Rhodes, Laura Gerow, Tara Sands, and Haviland Stillwell.
Episode list
Season 1 (2012)
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Closet Princess | April 27, 2012 |
| 2 | Happy Birthday Chelsea | May 11, 2012 |
| 3 | Pet Peeve | May 18, 2012 |
| 4 | Rhapsody in Buttercream | May 18, 2012 |
| 5 | Ken-tastic, Hair-tastic | May 25, 2012 |
| 6 | Party Foul | May 25, 2012 |
| 7 | Day at the Beach | June 1, 2012 |
| 8 | Sticker it Up | June 8, 2012 |
| 9 | Oh How Campy | June 15, 2012 |
| 10 | Bad Hair Day | June 22, 2012 |
| 11 | Licensed to Drive | June 29, 2012 |
| 12 | I Want My BTV | July 6, 2012 |
| 13 | Gifts, Goofs, Galore | July 13, 2012 |
| 14 | The Barbie Boutique | July 20, 2012 |
| 15 | Sand Away | September 19, 2012 |
| 16 | Barbie Technical Institute | September 21, 2012 |
| 17 | Ken and Robot | September 21, 2012 |
| 18 | Fan Mail | October 10, 2012 |
Season 2 (2012-2013)
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | The Reunion Show | October 12, 2012 |
| 16 | Closet Princess 2.0 | October 19, 2012 |
| 17 | Sisters Ahoy | October 26, 2012 |
| 18 | The Shrinkerator | November 1, 2012 |
| 19 | Plethora of Puppies | November 8, 2012 |
| 20 | Closet Clothes Out | November 15, 2012 |
| 21 | Accidentally on Porpoise | November 22, 2012 |
| 22 | Gone Glitter Gone - Part 1 | November 29, 2012 |
| 23 | Gone Glitter Gone - Part 2 | December 5, 2012 |
| 24 | Ryan's Greatest Hits | December 19, 2012 |
| 25 | Everybody Needs a Ken | January 17, 2013 |
Season 3 (2013)
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Playing Heart to Get | February 6, 2013 |
| 25 | Catty on the Catwalk | February 13, 2013 |
| 26 | Help Wanted | February 20, 2013 |
| 27 | Spooky Sleepover | February 27, 2013 |
| 28 | A Smidge of Midge | March 6, 2013 |
| 29 | Occupational Hazards | March 13, 2013 |
| 30 | Ooh How Campy, Too | March 20, 2013 |
| 31 | Let's Make a Doll | March 26, 2013 |
Season 4 (2013)
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Endless Summer | June 26, 2013 |
| 33 | Sour Loser | July 3, 2013 |
| 34 | Another Day at the Beach | July 10, 2013 |
| 35 | Happy Bathday to You | July 17, 2013 |
| 36 | Cringing in the Rain | July 24, 2013 |
| 37 | The Ken Den | July 31, 2013 |
| 38 | Primp My Ride | August 7, 2013 |
| 39 | Mall Mayhem | August 14, 2013 |
| 40 | The Upgradening | August 21, 2013 |
Season 5 (2013)
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | Doctor Barbie | October 2, 2013 |
| 42 | Stuck With You | October 9, 2013 |
| 43 | The Only Way to Fly | October 16, 2013 |
| 44 | Perf Pool Party | October 23, 2013 |
| 45 | Trapped in the Dreamhouse | October 30, 2013 |
Season 6 (2014-2015)
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 46 | Style Super Squad - Part 1 | February 5, 2014 |
| 47 | Style Super Squad - Part 2 | February 19, 2014 |
| 48 | Little Bad Dress | March 19, 2014 |
| 49 | Going to the Dogs | April 2, 2014 |
| 50 | Dream a Little Dreamhouse | April 16, 2014 |
| 51 | Mayor of Malibu | April 30, 2014 |
| 52 | Bizzaro Barbie | May 28, 2014 |
| 53 | Doll vs. Dessert | June 11, 2014 |
| 54 | Going Viral | July 9, 2014 |
| 55 | Girls Day Out | July 23, 2014 |
| 56 | Business is Barking | September 4, 2014 |
| 57 | When the Cat's Away | September 17, 2014 |
| 58 | Ice Ice, Barbie - Part 1 | October 16, 2014 |
| 59 | Ice Ice, Barbie - Part 2 | October 29, 2014 |
| 60 | The Amaze Chase | November 12, 2014 |
| 61 | New Girl in Town | March 4, 2015 |
| 62 | Malibu's Empirical Emporium | April 18, 2015 |
Season 7 (2015)
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 63 | Red Carpet Caper | April 24, 2015 |
| 64 | Mission Impawsible | May 1, 2015 |
| 65 | The Telethon | May 8, 2015 |
| 66 | Don't Bet On It | May 15, 2015 |
| 67 | Dissin' Cousins | May 22, 2015 |
| 68 | Alone in the Dreamhouse | May 29, 2015 |
| 69 | Mooning Over You | June 26, 2015 |
| 70 | Sidewalk Showdown | July 30, 2015 |
| 71 | Sisters' Fun Day | August 1, 2015 |
| 72 | Send in the Clones - Part 1 | August 27, 2015 |
| 73 | Send in the Clones - Part 2 | September 11, 2015 |
| 74 | Send in the Clones - Part 3 | September 18, 2015 |
| 75 | The Fantasticest Journey | September 25, 2015 |
| 76 | Attention Shoppers (Unreleased) | September 30, 2015 |
| 77 | You Go 'Gurt! (Unreleased) | October 1, 2015 |
Notes
- Episodes 15-16 in season 1 and episodes 24 and 25 in season 2 are the bonus episodes in those seasons.
- The Reunion Show comes before Closet Princess 2.0 despite it having a clip of Ken and Ryan's fight in that episode.
- The title of episode 36 in season 4 is a parody of Singin' in the Rain.
- The title of episode 64 in season 7 is a wordplay on the 1996 film Mission: Impossible.
- Episode 71 in season 7 features Fifth Harmony.
- Two unreleased episodes have not been fully released, Attention Shoppers and You Go' Gurt.